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Tribunal members

Last updated: October 11, 2024

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Overview

The Tribunal has an adjudicative staff who are appointed members:

Tribunal members are administrative law judges who conduct mediations, decide applications to dismiss a complaint without a hearing, preside on pre-hearing conferences, conduct hearings and render final decisions on the merits of a complaint.

Members

Adamson, Steven

Steven Adamson was appointed as a member of the Tribunal on February 27, 2017.  From 2012 to 2022 he was also the Tribunal’s registrar. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia and was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1994. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from the University of Toronto.

Prior to joining the Human Rights Tribunal as registrar in 2012, Mr. Adamson served as vice chair and deputy registrar with the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal, and before that he was an appeal commissioner with the former Appeal Division of the Workers’ Compensation Board. Mr. Adamson started his career as a workers’ compensation specialist for a large corporation.

Anika, Ijeamaka

Ijeamaka Anika (she/her) was appointed as a part-time member of the Tribunal on August 21, 2023. Prior to her appointment, Ijeamaka was a researcher for the University of British Columbia Investigations Office where she conducted trauma-informed research for investigations into allegations of discrimination and sexual misconduct at UBC.

Ijeamaka holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (2019), University College London (2007), and Oxford Brookes University (2006). Before coming to Vancouver, she held a teaching position at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and is also a Barrister and Solicitor in Nigeria.

Her research and advocacy work focus on international criminal law, particularly relating to prevention of gender-based violence in conflict situations; economic, social, and cultural rights; the medical and social impact of child marriages in Nigeria; human trafficking; international human rights; and humanitarian law in a domestic context. As a student, Ijeamaka has interned at the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.

Beckett, Shannon

Shannon Beckett holds a Law degree from the University of Calgary (2011) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria (2004). She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia with extensive experience advising administrative tribunals on matters of law and policy. Ms. Beckett has practiced in the areas of labour and employment law, human rights law, and professional regulatory law, and has served as a Judicial Law Clerk with the BC Supreme Court. She has also worked for an Independent Officer of the Legislature where she investigated the critical injuries and deaths of children and youth receiving government services. Ms. Beckett is Co-President of the BC Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT), and teaches BCCAT courses on Decision Writing, Administrative Procedure and Hearing Skills.

Buday, Kylie

Kylie Buday (she/her) was appointed as a member of the Tribunal on October 17, 2022. She holds degrees from the University of Victoria (B.A.Hons., 2000 and J.D., 2008) and Dalhousie University (M.A., 2006). Ms. Buday has lived experience as a person with disabilities. She was raised as a visitor on Semiahmoo territory and currently resides as a visitor on Lək̓ʷəŋən lands.

Prior to joining the Tribunal, Ms. Buday worked as a trauma-informed investigator, mediator and decision maker on discrimination and harassment complaints. She also assisted in the development and implementation of policy and procedures on discrimination, harassment, and sexualized violence. In addition, Ms. Buday has worked as legal counsel for First Nation governments in B.C., Ontario and the Yukon, and as an investigator for the Office of the Ombudsperson of B.C., where she responded to disclosures of wrongdoing under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Ms. Buday served as a refugee status decision maker and advisor for over three years with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Damascus, Syria and Geneva, Switzerland, respectively.

Chapnick, Jonathan

Jonathan Chapnick (he/him) was appointed as a full-time member of the Tribunal on November 1, 2023.  Prior to his appointment, Mr. Chapnick operated a small workplace law and investigations practice and was a member of BC’s Employment Standards Tribunal and Patient Care Quality Review Board.  He previously worked in-house for unions and employers in BC and Ontario for 15 years, and he is a former adjunct professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law and employment law instructor at Douglas College.

Mr. Chapnick is a chartered human resources professional (CPHR) and is on the roster of investigators established by the Canadian government to investigate occurrences of harassment and violence in federally-regulated workplaces.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics) from McGill University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria.

Cousineau, Devyn – Vice Chair

Devyn Cousineau (she/her) was appointed as a full-time member of the Tribunal on November 1, 2017, and was appointed as Vice Chair of Case Management and Assignments in April 2023.

Before her appointment, Ms. Cousineau practiced in the areas of human rights, labour, and anti-poverty law. She has appeared at all levels of court, including at the Supreme Court of Canada as counsel in the leading cases of Moore v. BC (Human Rights Tribunal), 2012 SCC 61 and BC Human Rights Tribunal v. Schrenk, 2017 SCC 62.

Ms. Cousineau holds a law degree from the University of Victoria (2006) and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University (2003). She clerked for the Honourable Jo-Ann Prowse at the BC Court of Appeal and the Honourable Rosalie Abella at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Dean, Robin

Robin Dean (she/her) became a Tribunal member in 2023. Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (2004) from Vermont’s Middlebury College and a Juris Doctor degree (2010) from the University of Washington. She was called to the British Columbia bar in 2014.

Before joining the Tribunal, Robin clerked at the Washington State Court of Appeals, and she practiced municipal law, civil litigation and Aboriginal law. Robin is passionate about creating greater access to justice and dedicated hundreds of hours of her legal career to providing pro bono representation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at Urban Ink, an arts organization that seeks to uplift Indigenous and diverse voices through storytelling and performance.

Derynck, Jessica

Jessica Derynck was appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a four-year term commencing on November 1, 2021. Ms. Derynck holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree from Ryerson University (2002) and a law degree from the University of Victoria (2009). She was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2010. Ms. Derynck was previously appointed as a full-time member of the Tribunal in April 2021 for a six-month term.

Before her appointment to the Tribunal, Ms. Derynck worked as in-house legal counsel at a union for six years. Previously she practiced human rights, labour and employment law at a law firm in Vancouver.

Etmanski, Theressa

Ms. Theressa Etmanski was appointed as a full-time member of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal on November 1, 2023. Ms. Etmanski holds both a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia (2012), a Master of Laws from the University of Victoria (2019) and has been a member of the Law Society of British Columbia since 2013. She also holds a Master’s degree in Asian Pacific Policy Studies (Governance and Human Rights) from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor’s degree (Anthropology) from Simon Fraser University.

As a lawyer, Ms. Etmanski worked as a sole practitioner, a contract lawyer with Legal Services Society of British Columbia, a legal advocate with the West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association (now Migrant Workers Centre), and an associate lawyer at Elgin, Cannon and Associates. During this time, Ms. Etmanski represented clients before all divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, the British Columbia Employment Standards Branch, the Federal Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal. As many of Ms. Etmanski’s clients were either refugee claimants or migrant workers, she quickly developed a culturally sensitive and trauma informed approach to her work. Ms. Etmanski has also engaged in various international human rights projects in Southeast Asia. Ms. Etmanski’s most recent role as a Human Rights Officer at the Canadian Human Rights Commission involved investigating and assessing human rights complaints against federally regulated employers and service providers.

Froese, Beverly

Beverly Froese was appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a four-year term commencing on February 28, 2019. She holds a law degree from the University of Manitoba (2001) and a Master of Law degree from the Louisiana State University (2008).

Before moving to the Okanagan and starting her own practice in 2014, Ms. Froese was a Staff Attorney for over 10 years at the Public Interest Law Centre of Legal Aid Manitoba. Her areas of practice are human rights, constitutional, administrative and poverty law. She has also been involved in several large research projects, most recently relating to the human rights of people living with a mental illness and access to justice for people who cannot afford a lawyer.

Ohler, Emily – Chair

Emily Ohler was appointed as a full-time member of the Tribunal on June 9, 2016. She was appointed as chair effective August 1, 2021 initially for a three-year term, and reappointed in June 2023 for a further five years. She holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (B.A, 1997), Osgoode Hall Law School (J.D, 2000) and the National University of Singapore (LL.M, 2005). She was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2001.

Prior to joining the Tribunal, Ms. Ohler was a litigator in Vancouver before moving to Geneva, Switzerland in 2005 to join the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), a subsidiary of the United Nations Security Council. There, she advised the UNCC Governing Council on policy, legal, procedural and practical matters related to post-conflict claims and sustainable development projects related to the 1991 Gulf War. On returning to Vancouver, Ms. Ohler incorporated Broadleap Solutions Ltd., an international advisory firm focused on implementing the UN Guidelines on Business and Human Rights, and advising on equity and diversity policy. She also developed and delivered innovative human rights-related educational and mentorship programs. She has served on various Boards and has taught international and common law as Lecturer and Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia.

Pighin, Sonya

Sonya Pighin was appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a four-year term commencing on Jan 11, 2021.

Sonya Pighin is a person with Wet’suwet’en, Italian and French ancestry, as well as a member of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. Sonya currently resides as a visitor on Lək̓ʷəŋən lands, and she prefers the pronouns “she” and “her”. Sonya has long standing interests in the areas of human rights, Indigenous rights, social justice, constitutional and administrative law. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria, a Master of Laws (w/specialization in constitutional law) from York University, and a Bachelor of Arts (w/ criminology major) from Malaspina University-College. In addition to serving on the BC Human Rights Tribunal, Sonya is called to the bar in British Columbia and she operates a law practice in the areas of constitutional, administrative, human rights and aboriginal law. She also sits on the board of the BC College of Social Workers as a public lay member.

In addition to Sonya’s legal background, she has held leadership positions at the Office of the BC Ombudsperson and the BC First Nations Justice Council. She has also worked as a child rights advocate at the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth in BC, as a youth justice coordinator in New Zealand’s youth justice system conducting family group conferences, and on a treaty negotiations team with New Zealand’s Office of Treaty Settlements. In addition to this, Sonya has over a decade of experience working in British Columbia’s child and youth serving systems, including in the areas of mental health, youth justice and residential care. In Sonya’s free time, she participates in many outdoor activities and believes in maintaining a balanced lifestyle. She loves mountain biking, back-country hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, scuba diving and spending time with family.

Prince, Amber

Amber Prince was appointed as a member of the Tribunal for a four-year term commencing on Jan 4, 2021.

Amber Prince is a member of the Sucker Creek (Cree) Nation (Treaty 8) but grew up on the unceded territory of the Dakelh (Carrier) First Nations (Prince George), and now lives on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She has a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University, a law degree from the University of British Columbia and a master’s in law from the University of Victoria. From 2006-2020 Ms. Prince provided a range of legal advocacy services for women at Atira Women’s Resource Society. She was also an adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law from 2014 to 2020.

Robb, Andrew

Andrew Robb was appointed as a member of the Tribunal on November 1, 2023. He has a law degree from Dalhousie University, a master’s degree in political theory from the University of Western Ontario, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Dalhousie University.

Before joining the Tribunal Andrew was the managing lawyer of the Disability Law Clinic at Disability Alliance BC. The Disability Law Clinic is the first community legal clinic in British Columbia focusing exclusively on disability rights law. Andrew has also worked at community legal clinics in Lethbridge, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario.

Said-Alam, Laila

Laila Said Alam was appointed as a full-time member of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal on November 1, 2023.  Ms. Said-Alam is a lawyer who practices defense litigation primarily in the areas of administrative law and humanitarian immigration law. She has worked in coordination with the International Rescue Committee and United Nations to advance the rights and dignity of vulnerable populations. Prior to private practice, she spent a combined 8 years improving government oversight and regulating health care professionals, with the primary aim of bringing transparency to the public. In her work, she brings a deep commitment to procedural fairness, and a commitment to adjudicating with a trauma-informed lens.

Ms. Said Alam holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, a Master’s degree from the United Nations University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. Ms. Said Alam is an active member of the Law Society of British Columbia, Law Society of Ontario, Maryland State Bar, and U.S. Federal Immigration Bar.

Smith, Kathleen

Kathleen Smith was appointed as a full-time member of the Tribunal on October 1, 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (2001) and a Bachelor of Arts degree (1996) from Dalhousie University.

Prior to joining the Tribunal, Ms. Smith served stints as an adjudicator with the Mental Health Review Board in British Columbia and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Refugee Protection Division, in Ontario. Her previous roles include Human Rights Advocate with a non-profit organization, Resolution Manager with the Indian Residential Schools settlement, and Project Manager for an international rule of law initiative in Central Asia.

Snowshoe, Karen

Karen Snowshoe was appointed as a part-time member of the Tribunal on February 18, 2020.

Ms. Snowshoe provides adjudication and mediation services across Canada. Her main clients have included the Indian Residential School Adjudication Secretariat, the Northwest Territories Human Rights Adjudication Panel, and the Workers’ Compensation Tribunal of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Karen has lived and worked in Canada’s north for 14 years. She is passionate about providing trauma-informed and culturally sensitive investigations. As senior counsel with the National Inquiry into Missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Karen hired, trained, and led a national team of statement gatherers who conducted trauma-informed interviews across Canada, on a confidential basis. In 2018, Karen was elected as a Bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia, the first Indigenous woman to be elected since 1884. Ms. Snowshoe is a lawyer, arbitrator, mediator and workplace investigator.

Takayanagi, Edward

Edward Takayanagi holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia (2004) and a Bachelor of Japanese Archaeology degree from Kyoto University (2000). They initially practiced in the areas of civil litigation, administrative law and estates. They served as a Trust Administrator with Coast Mental Health, creating and managing trusts to protect the financial assets of vulnerable peoples. They were an Arbitrator with the Residential Tenancy Branch adjudicating a high volume of disputes on all aspects of tenancies. They have taken leadership roles in a number of community organizations. Most recently as the President of the Board of Directors for Powell Street Festival Society, a Japanese-Canadian arts and culture organization, they have led initiatives to build and empower communities in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver through a lens of decolonization.

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